Silas quickly scans the dock and hands me a piece of leather from one of the bag’s handles. “Here. Bite down hard.”
I bite down as pain shoots through my leg and shut my eyes. Silas stays close, his hands holding me still.
Maines places her hands over my ankle, and a black light flows from her palms, knitting the skin back together. My back arches as the pain peaks, but Silas holds me down. The leather strap falls from my mouth, and a scream escapes me.
“Hang on, Briar. She’s almost finished,” Silas says, his voice calm.
I glance at him, my eyes unfocused. He mouths, “You can do this,” gently brushing the fallen hair from my face.
Maines finishes the healing. “You’ll be sore for a day or so,” she says, smiling.
The bag from the island is beside me. Relief from my ankle almost makes me groan. “Wait,” I say. “We need those for the next trial. Give them here.”
Maines grabs the bag and tosses it over her shoulder. “Shit. That’s heavy. How did you not drown with this on your back?”
I shrug, a thought crossing my mind: Thatcher was behind Cromwell.
In the distance, Thatcher’s laugh cuts through the crowd. He’s standing with Elrod and my father, their hands on his shoulders. My father doesn’t even check if I made it back alive.
“Our winner, Thatcher Madden!” my father declares. The crowd erupts into applause. Deceit flickers in Thatcher’s eyes as he faces them, basking in his win.
My teeth grind as I limp forward. “Liar!” I scream, my voice strained from my sore ankle. “He was behind me the entire time. He cheated.”
Thatcher’s eyes darken. “That’s ridiculous. Everyone saw me swim to victory.”
My father steps forward. “Enough with the public declarations, Briar. Do you have proof, or are you upset Thatcher will probably be the overall winner?”
Rohhit places his hand on my shoulder. There’s no way to prove Thatcher’s betrayal, and speaking out will only make me seem crazy. “No, I don’t have proof. But he tried to kill me. Looks like he’s good at killing Blackbyrnes,” I whisper, my gaze narrowing.
“Another absurd accusation, Princess.” Thatcher sneers.
Silas steps forward, standing by Rohhit.
My father booms, “Thatcher is today’s winner. We shall celebrate.”
The crowd begins to dissipate as they are ushered back to the castle. Silas places a hand on the small of my back, sending a thrill through me. My gaze meets his, and for the first time, I see softness and understanding in his eyes.
As we walk away from the pier, I glance back at the water. Cromwell’s father still stands there, waiting for someone who won’t come back. A painful memory strikes me as I, too, waited for my mother to return after her passing. Grief swells in my chest. This could have been avoided if my father had never ordered these trials.
“He wasn’t forced to enter these trials, Briar,” Silas says, breaking the silence. “We did this willingly. Some of us have deeper motivations than others.”
I turn, the cold sea breeze whipping my hair across my face. “Thank you for what you did in the forest, but I need you to stop pretending to care for me.” The fading cheers of the crowd echo around us.
He steps back, his usually strong façade faltering. “I’m sorry if I come on too strong, Briar. I’ve waited years to meet you. Now that I’m here, I can’t seem to help myself.”
“You act like you know me, but you don’t,” I snap. “You do these insane things for me, saying vague things without explanation.”
I step in his direction, prepared to challenge him. The sun is beginning to set behind us, draining the color from the sky. His face pales as I speak. For a moment, I think I’ve lost him. But then, I remember thinking I lost him on the island.
“I feel like I know you somehow,” I says softly. “But I need you to tell me more. Why do you bother me so badly?”
“I’ll explain everything at the right time, Briar. Please don’t push me away until we get that chance,” he pleads, his voice strong but tinged with worry. His lips quiver with the weight of his words.
I sigh but can’t resist. He takes my hand, and when our fingers touch, a force surges between us. He presses his forehead against mine, and for the first time, we both simply let go and relax into each other.
“What do you want from me, Silas?” I ask, my voice trembling.
He pauses, his green eyes connecting with mine. The intensity between us builds as he whispers, “Everything.”
